1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tape cartridge for coat film transfer tool and a coat film transfer tool, and more particularly to refill type coat film transfer tape mounting technology enabling to exchange coat film transfer tapes, in a coat film transfer tool for transferring a coat film such as corrective paint layer, marker paint layer, or adhesive layer on a coat film transfer tape, onto a sheet of paper or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
An example of constitution of coat film transfer tool of this kind is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-open Publication No. 5-13800. In this coat film transfer tool, as shown in FIG. 32, in a case a that can be held and manipulated by one hand, a feed reel c mounting a coat film transfer tape b and a take-up reel d for recovering the coat film transfer tape bxe2x80x2 after use are rotatably provided, and a coat film transfer head f for pressing the coat film transfer tape b onto the transfer area is projecting at the leading end of the case a. The both reels c, d are of self-winding type being mutually linked to cooperate by means of a linkage g. This linkage g is mutually engaged with gears h, i provided on the outer circumference of the both reels c, d.
The case a is a flat box having the contour dimension and width enough for incorporating the feed reel c and take-up reel d, and the flat face and back sides, that is, the face and back sides to the sheet of paper of FIG. 32 are the gripping surfaces when holding and manipulating by hand.
In this coat film transfer tool, the pressurizing portion j of the head f is composed so as to guide the coat film transfer tape b nearly oppositely to the gripping surfaces of the case a so as to be used in so-called horizontal drawing.
When such coat film transfer tool is used as an eraser for correcting a wrong character, it is suited to correction of letters written horizontally as in alphabet. The case a is held by hand, and while pressing the coat film transfer tape b tightly on the correction area (transfer area) k by the pressurizing portion j of the head f as shown in FIG. 32, the case a is moved in a specified direction (in the vertical direction to the sheet of paper of FIG. 32). As a result, the corrective paint layer of the coat film transfer tape b in the pressurizing portion j of the head f is adhered to the correction area k to erase the letter, while the coat film transfer tape bxe2x80x2 after use is automatically taken up and recovered on the take-up reel d.
Recently, the effective use of the resources on earth is keenly demanded in particular, and this kind of coat film transfer tool is also desired to be manufactured in the so-called refill type structure for replacing only the consumable part of the coat film transfer tape b from the viewpoint of resource saving.
In such horizontal drawing type coat film transfer tool, however, since the pressurizing portion j of the head f is designed to guide the coat film transfer tape b almost oppositely to the gripping surfaces of the case a, it is practically impossible to employ the refill structure of replacing the coat film transfer tape b only.
That is, in this coat film transfer tool, structurally, the coat film transfer tape b is twisted 90 degrees in the head f portion. Hence, at the manufacturer""s side, it is hard to automate the assembling work, and skilled workers are assembling manually at the present.
On the other hand, in the refill structure for replacing the consumable part of coat film transfer tape b, the user is requested to disassemble and reassemble the coat film transfer tool and replace the coat film transfer tape b. Therefore, in the refill structure of the coat film transfer tape b, it is an essential subject for development of structure so that the series of steps may be done easily and quickly by the general user.
From this point of view, the present applicant previously proposed the refill type coat film transfer tool in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 8-156495.
In this coat film transfer tool, as shown in FIG. 33, a replaceable tape cartridge m is provided in a case a, and this tape cartridge m comprises a feed reel c and a take-up reel d rotatably disposed on a support board n, and these reels c, d are detachably and integrally rotatably engaged respectively with a feed rotary portion o and a take-up rotary portion p rotatably provided in the case a. The both rotary portions o, p are mutually linked through a linkage g, and this linkage g is frictionally contacting with an O-ring r on the outer circumference of the feed rotary portion o and an outer circumference s of the take-up rotary portion p mutually.
At the leading end of the case a, a coat film transfer head f is projecting, and this coat film transfer head f is rotatable between the coat film transfer tape replacing position and the using position. The pressurizing portion j at the leading end of the coat film transfer head f is, at the coat film transfer tape replacing position, guides the coat film transfer tape b while the both reels c, d are in winding position, and at the using position, it is designed to guide the coat film transfer tape b almost oppositely to the gripping surfaces of the case a.
When using this coat film transfer tool, it can be used in horizontal drawing same as in the coat film transfer tool shown in FIG. 32, and, when replacing the coat film transfer tape b, the coat film transfer head f is rotated from the using position to the coat film transfer tape replacing position. As a result, the position of the coat film transfer tape b in the head f area is manipulated from the stated twisted about 90 degrees to the winding position of the feed reel c and take-up reel d to the parallel state, so that it is easy to mount and dismount the coat film transfer tape b on and from the head f, but there was a room for further improvement in the aspect of freedom from setting of coat film transfer tape b on the head f.
Also in the coat film transfer tools of horizontal drawing type shown in FIG. 32 and FIG. 33, the head structure was designed on the basis of the ideal and uniform position of holding a writing tool, but actually since each user holds the writing tool in a different manner, there was a further room for improvement in the aspect of realizing an optimum state for every user in the sense of holding a writing tool.
It is hence a main object of the invention to present a novel coat film transfer tape cartridge solving the problems of the prior arts.
It is other object of the invention to present a tape cartridge in a structure for replacing the coat film transfer tape more easily, quickly and securely by improving the refill type coat film transfer tool structure for horizontal drawing.
It is a different object of the invention to present a tape cartridge in a structure allowing every user to hold in a sense of holding a writing tool freely.
It is a further object of the invention to present a tape cartridge in a small, simple and inexpensive structure.
It is a further different object of the invention to present a coat film transfer tool having such tape cartridge structure.
In the constitution of the tape cartridge of the invention, a rotatable feed reel winding a coat film transfer thereon, a rotatable take-up reel for recovering the coat film transfer tape after use, and a coat film transfer head for pressing the coat film transfer tape onto the transfer area are provided on a flat support board, and this support board supports the opposite side ends of rotary shafts of the both reels detachably and rotatably supported on the rotary support shaft of the case of the coat film transfer tool, and the coat film transfer head has its base end support portion rotatably held around the head axis in the head holding portion of the support board.
In the constitution of the coat film transfer tool of the invention, such tape cartridge is detachably provided, and more specifically in the case to be held and manipulated by one hand, there is a rotary support shaft for detachably and rotatably supporting the feed reel and take-up reel of the tape cartridge, and by this rotary support shaft and the support board of the tape cartridge, the both reels are rotated and supported as being held on both sides, a head inserting portion for projecting the coat film transfer head of the tape cartridge to outside of the case is provided at the leading end of the case, and part of the outer circumference of the case forms a pair of opposite gripping surfaces to be held by hand like holding a writing tool.
In the tape cartridge of the invention, since the rotatable feed reel winding a coat film transfer thereon, rotatable take-up reel for recovering the coat film transfer tape after use, and coat film transfer head for pressing the coat film transfer tape onto the transfer area are provided on the flat support board, it can be replaced instantly.
That is, the support board rotatably supports the opposite side ends of the rotary shafts of the both reels supported on the rotary support shaft of the case, and setting of the coat film transfer tape on the coat film transfer head has been already completed in the stage of the product, and therefore the user has only to grip the support board to fit the rotary shaft of the reel onto the rotary support shaft of the case from the upper side, and push the tape cartridge into the case while positioning the coat film transfer head at a specified position at the leading end of the case, and thus the replacing procedure is completed.
Moreover, since the base end support portion of the coat film transfer head is rotatably held around the head axis in the head holding portion of the support board, in the state of the tape cartridge being placed in the case, the coat film transfer head is allowed to rotate about the head axis in a rotating angle range defined by the rotating angle defining portion of the head inserting portion of the case, and therefore the head position can be kept in an optimum state depending on the application or the manner of holding by the user. It means that in the coat film transfer tool of the invention, if the basic structure of the head is designed for a right-handed user, a left-handed user can hold the head position in a desired position, same as a right-handed user, depending on the manner of holding by the left-handed user.
In particular, the rotating angle defining portion is designed to set to allow the coat film transfer head to rotate so that the leading end pressurizing portion of the coat film transfer head may rotate in a specified angle range in both directions, from the center of angle of guiding the coat film transfer tape almost oppositely to the gripping surfaces of the case, and therefore the user can hold the coat film transfer tool in a position same as when holding a writing tool, so that it can be used in horizontal drawing same as when using a writing tool, so that a favorable sense of manipulation is obtained.
These and other related objects and features of the invention will be better understood by reading the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and novel matters pointed out in the claims.